The PSRC, a pollen and spore reference collection maintained by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

A pollen and spore reference collection can be a valuable instrument in forensic palynology, prehistoric studies, aerobiology, and other areas of research. Referred to hereafter as the PSRC, the collection of pollen and spore samples maintained by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has been developed over a period of 40 years. Currently, the PSRC includes 7270 slides of pollen/spores from plants distributed in Bulgaria and species common in subtropical and tropical regions. The present article treats the role of samples stored in the PSRC as reference material in palynological research on Palaeogene, Neogene, and Quaternary fossil assemblages.

Keywords

• Bulgaria
• collection
• palynology
• pollen
• spore